Did you know that today is SysAdminDay? This day, created to celebrate and appreciate System Administrators means so much more to me because I know that nonprofit techies out there all function at some level as a System Administrator, even if they do not feel that they do.

On the website http://www.sysadminday.com, they have a page that outlines all of the things that System Administrators do. I see it. I appreciate it. Yes, I do most of that stuff. Until there is a holiday for the Nonprofit Techie, this is the next closest thing.

Now I know that most people aren’t going to go out and buy gifts for their nonprofit techie or their system administrator today, but I think this day should give everyone a moment to pause and think about all the specialized things that these individuals do, that you might not quite understand. It might seem as if this person as a magic wand that they wave to fix things. It might seem as if this person has some sort of magnetic field that when they arrive at your desk all things start to work again. It might seem like geeky voodoo. But really it is just skills that these nonprofit techies and system administrators have that other types of workers do not have.

Yet, I know that it sometimes hurts when our skills are seen as a magic wand or magnetic field, and especially worst when seen as geeky voodoo. Technology is needed by the organization, and all too often, especially in nonprofits – where the technology department sits isn’t natural. Are we a support to users and therefore only focused on customer service or are we a program that is needed to run the agency? Should technology be separate from the fiscal department or not? Should technology be development, marketing, or media also? It’s all things that add to demands of the job.

Today is just a day to think about these special people who help organizations run. If you run across one today, simply thank them for their work. Let them know that you realize that it”s really work for them and not some magical wand. I know from experience it is so nice to hear from some end-user in a department that I rarely ever see simply say “Hey, good job”.

Of course, if you feel that you need to go out and buy a gift, I don’t know a nonprofit techie out there that would turn away an iPad.